Teach the Vote's Week in Review: Aug. 28, 2026

The ATPE Governmental Relations team recaps the past week’s education news, legislative and election updates, and regulatory developments. ATPE members: Share your thoughts and ask our lobby team questions in The Rotunda on the ATPE Online Community.

• Texas election deadlines: What voters need to know before November 
• Six ATPE members named Texas Regional Teachers of the Year
• Join ATPE at the 2026 Texas Tribune Festival
• Use your teacher voice with ATPE’s advocacy tools

ELECTION: It’s not too early to ensure you’re ready to vote in November’s election. Here are some important dates to mark on your calendar:

• Oct. 5: Voter registration deadline
• Oct. 19–30: Early voting
• Oct. 23: Deadline to apply for a ballot by mail
• Nov. 3: Election Day

Now is the time to confirm your voter registration information is up to date, begin your candidate research on Teach the Vote, and talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about supporting pro-public education candidates. ATPE Lobbyist Tricia Cave has more in this blog post. 

TEACHER OF THE YEAR: ATPE congratulates the finalists in the 2027 Texas Teacher of the Year program, as well as the following ATPE members who were named Texas Regional Teachers of the Year:

• Region 1: Elementary – Enrique Ayala, Lyford Elementary School, Lyford Consolidated ISD
• Region 4: Secondary – Cristina Monroe, Tomball Star Academy, Tomball ISD
• Region 6: Secondary – Brittany Knauer, Montgomery Junior High School, Montgomery ISD
• Region 8: Secondary – John “J.D.” Stutler, Cooper High School, Cooper ISD
• Region 18: Elementary – Kassie Hunt, Parkway Elementary School, Monahans-Wickett-Pyote ISD
• Region 19: Secondary – Jacob Pineda, Ysleta High School, Ysleta ISD

The Regional Teachers of the Year will be recognized and the Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year announced during an Oct. 16 luncheon at the Kalahari Resort in Round Rock. Read more in this atpenews.org blog post.

TRIBFEST: ATPE is proud to partner with The Texas Tribune as a supporting sponsor of the 2026 Texas Tribune Festival this Sept. 24–26 in Austin. Educators may take advantage of special pricing to enjoy this three-day festival of ideas—and the opportunity to earn continuing professional education (CPE) credit at select sessions through ATPE. 

Students and educators may purchase TribFest tickets for only $65 using education-affiliated email addresses. That’s an 80% discount just for students and educators! Groups of 5 or more can get an additional $5 off per ticket. Learn more here.

MEMBER ADVOCACY: Even when the Legislature’s not in session, we urge you to stay informed and engaged. Here are a few advocacy resources to check out:  

• Summer 2026 Legislative Update: Log into the ATPE Professional Learning Portal to watch the ATPE Governmental Relations team’s session from the 2026 ATPE Summit.
• ATPE Mobile App: Check out the new ATPE Mobile App to conveniently access member benefits and advocacy tools.   
• Advocacy Central: Get in touch with your elected officials about the legislation impacting your profession.   
• Judy: Chat with ATPE’s AI assistant for Texas educators, ready to help you with all things ATPE and all things #txed.    
• ATPE Member Advocate Program (ATPE-MAP): Enroll in ATPE-MAP to earn state-level and local-level advocacy microcredentials, as well as earn continuing professional education (CPE) credit. ATPE-MAP is included in your member benefits, so be sure to check it out today.     
• The Rotunda: Don’t forget, members, that you can interact with your ATPE lobby team throughout the week when you log in to the ATPE Online Community.